Marcus WebbWhy Am I Losing More LP Than I Gain in LoL? Fix Your MMR
Losing more LP than you gain in LoL? Learn why it happens, how MMR affects LP gains and what you can do to improve your ranked progression.
Why Am I Losing More LP Than I Gain in LoL?
Winning a League of Legends ranked game and gaining +18 LP, only to lose the next game and drop -27 LP, is one of the most frustrating experiences in ranked.
If your LP gains are consistently smaller than your LP losses, your visible rank and hidden MMR are probably not aligned.
The good news is that this does not mean your account is permanently stuck.
In this guide, we'll explain why you can lose more LP than you gain, how MMR affects your ranked progression, and what you can actually do to improve the situation.
Why Am I Losing More LP Than I Gain?
The short answer is MMR.
League of Legends uses a hidden matchmaking rating called MMR to estimate your skill level and create ranked matches.
Your visible rank and your MMR are related, but they are not exactly the same thing.
When your MMR is lower than the level suggested by your visible rank, your LP gains can become smaller while your LP losses become larger.
For example:
| Result | LP |
|---|---:|
| Win | +18 LP |
| Loss | -27 LP |
You would need to win considerably more games than you lose just to maintain your current rank.
That is why a positive win rate does not always immediately translate into fast climbing.
How MMR Affects LP Gains
MMR is hidden, so Riot does not give players a visible MMR number.
Instead, you notice its effects through your matchmaking and ranked progression.
Higher MMR Compared With Your Rank
If your MMR is strong relative to your visible rank, you may see healthier LP gains.
For example:
- Win: +27 LP
- Loss: -19 LP
You gain more when you win than you lose when you are defeated.
Lower MMR Compared With Your Rank
If your MMR is lower relative to your visible rank, the opposite can happen.
For example:
- Win: +18 LP
- Loss: -28 LP
This makes climbing much slower.
For a deeper explanation of the relationship between visible rank and MMR, read our MMR vs Rank in LoL guide.
Does Losing More LP Than You Gain Mean Your MMR Is Bad?
Not necessarily after one or two games.
LP gains and losses can vary between players and over time.
The important thing is the long-term pattern.
If you repeatedly see something like:
- +17 to +20 LP for wins
- -25 to -30 LP for losses
then your ranked progression is clearly unfavorable.
This is when it makes sense to look at your win rate, recent results and overall MMR situation rather than judging your account from a single game.
Why Does My MMR Become Lower Than My Rank?
There are several ways the relationship between MMR and visible rank can become unfavorable.
Long Losing Streaks
Repeated losses can push your matchmaking rating downward.
If your visible rank does not fall as quickly as your MMR, you can eventually end up with a mismatch.
You may then receive less LP for wins than you lose from defeats.
Climbing With a Low Win Rate
You can sometimes continue climbing while maintaining a win rate close to 50%, especially when individual games and LP changes work in your favor.
However, consistently losing more games than you win will eventually make climbing harder.
Reaching a Rank Your MMR Has Not Caught Up With
A player can reach a new division faster than their underlying matchmaking rating catches up.
This can create an unfavorable relationship between rank and MMR.
Playing Inconsistently
Large swings between winning and losing streaks make long-term improvement harder.
Your goal should be to build a stable positive win rate rather than trying to recover every loss immediately.
How Can I Fix Bad MMR in LoL?
There is no button that simply resets your MMR.
The practical solution is to improve your results over time.
1. Focus on Winning Consistently
The most important factor is still your results.
A sustained positive win rate is what allows your MMR to recover over time.
Don't focus on getting back exactly 30 LP in the next game.
Focus on winning more games than you lose across a larger sample.
2. Stop Tilt Queueing
One of the easiest ways to make bad LP gains worse is continuing to queue while frustrated.
A common pattern looks like this:
1. Lose a game
2. Immediately queue again
3. Lose another game
4. Become frustrated
5. Queue again
6. Lose several more games
Taking a break after a difficult game can prevent a single loss from becoming a long losing streak.
3. Use a Smaller Champion Pool
Don't constantly switch champions because of a few bad games.
Focus on a small number of champions you understand well.
This improves:
- Mechanics
- Matchup knowledge
- Farming
- Positioning
- Teamfight decisions
- Ability usage
Consistency matters more than constantly searching for the next "OP" champion.
4. Improve Your Farming
Gold creates item advantages.
If you're consistently behind in CS, you are giving up resources even when you are not dying.
Focus on:
- Last hitting
- Wave management
- Catching side waves
- Taking safe jungle camps when appropriate
- Avoiding unnecessary recalls
More resources give you more opportunities to carry games.
5. Stop Chasing Unnecessary Kills
A kill is useful, but not every kill attempt is worth the risk.
Before making an aggressive play, ask:
What happens if this fails?
If the answer is that you lose a wave, objective and your life, the play probably isn't worth taking.
6. Play Around Objectives
Kills become much more valuable when they lead to something.
Convert advantages into:
- Towers
- Dragons
- Rift Herald
- Baron
- Inhibitors
- Enemy jungle control
Winning the objective after a kill is usually more valuable than simply increasing your KDA.
How Long Does It Take to Fix Bad MMR?
There is no guaranteed number of games.
MMR changes over many games, so there is no universal "play 20 games and your MMR will be fixed" rule.
Your results matter more than a specific number of matches.
For example, someone with a consistently positive win rate may gradually improve their LP gains, while someone alternating between winning and losing may see little improvement.
Think in terms of dozens of games rather than one session.
Should I Make a New LoL Account?
Usually, creating another account should not be your first solution to poor LP gains.
A new account does not automatically solve the underlying gameplay problem.
If you continue making the same mistakes, the new account can eventually develop similar problems.
Before considering a new account, work on:
- Win rate
- Champion consistency
- Farming
- Deaths
- Objective control
- Tilt management
If you want to understand the ranked system itself, see our LoL Ranked System Explained guide.
Does Dodging Fix Bad MMR?
Dodging is not a magic MMR reset.
You should not rely on dodging as a way to repair your matchmaking rating.
Instead, focus on improving the games you actually play.
Avoiding one bad matchup may sometimes be useful depending on the circumstances, but repeatedly dodging will not magically make your MMR healthy.
What LP Gain Should I Aim For?
There is no single LP number that every player should receive.
Your gains depend on your account's matchmaking situation and other factors.
Instead of comparing your LP with another player's, look at your own trend.
For example:
Unfavorable
+17 LP win
-28 LP loss
More Balanced
+22 LP win
-23 LP loss
Favorable
+27 LP win
-19 LP loss
The exact numbers can vary.
The important question is whether your LP progression is improving over time.
Why Do I Lose More LP Than My Friend?
Two players at the same visible rank can have different MMR and therefore different LP gains and losses.
For example:
Player A
- Win: +27 LP
- Loss: -19 LP
Player B
- Win: +18 LP
- Loss: -28 LP
Both players might be Emerald, but their underlying matchmaking situations can be different.
That is why comparing your LP gains directly with a friend isn't always useful.
Can I Climb With Bad MMR?
Yes, but it can take longer.
If your wins give you less LP than your losses remove, you need a stronger win rate to make meaningful progress.
For example:
If you gain 18 LP for a win and lose 28 LP for a defeat, two wins and one loss gives:
+18 +18 -28 = +8 LP
You technically climbed, but only by 8 LP across three games.
This is why fixing your long-term results is more important than obsessing over individual LP changes.
How to Improve Your LP Gains
If your LP gains are poor, focus on these areas:
Improve Your Win Rate
Even a small improvement matters across a large number of games.
Reduce Losing Streaks
Don't continue playing when you're tilted.
Master Your Champions
Use a small champion pool.
Improve Your CS
More gold gives you more opportunities to influence games.
Play for Objectives
Convert kills and advantages into actual map progress.
Review Your Losses
After a defeat, identify one mistake you can avoid next game.
When Should You Stop Playing Ranked?
If you notice that your decision-making is getting worse, stop.
Warning signs include:
- Flaming teammates
- Playing immediately after every loss
- Taking unnecessary fights
- Constantly changing champions
- Playing while tired
- Trying to "win back" lost LP
Your LP does not need to be recovered in the same session.
Sometimes the best ranked decision is simply closing the client.
Can LoL Boosting Fix Bad MMR?
Boosting and MMR are related to different aspects of ranked progression.
If your problem is that you are struggling to climb because of unfavorable LP gains, consistently winning ranked games can help improve your situation over time.
Some players also use professional boosting when they want to reach a target rank without spending the time required for a long ranked grind.
If you're considering that option, see our LoL Boosting guide.
Final Takeaway
If you're losing more LP than you gain in League of Legends, the most likely explanation is that your visible rank and hidden MMR are not aligned favorably.
That does not mean your account is permanently broken.
The long-term solution is to improve your results:
- Win more consistently
- Avoid tilt queueing
- Master a smaller champion pool
- Farm efficiently
- Play around objectives
- Reduce unnecessary deaths
- Review your losses
Don't judge your account based on one game.
Look at the trend across many games.
If your results improve consistently, your ranked progression can improve with them.
